A Point in Time
by ColShaLin
Summary: --NEW CHAPTER-- Kagome is having nightmares and they are trying to tell her something, but what? And how are they tied to a certain someone and their dreams? Please review!
1. Chapter 1

Kagome felt as though she were chained to the ground by invisible bands as she looked at the churning cloud above her. She could feel the evil energy emanating from it, but felt powerless to protect herself. She struggled to lift her head and looked beside her at Sango, lying deathly still, arms beneath her, hair covering her face.

She knew she had to move; she had to get away. The energy was building and crackling, and fear was rising in the back of her throat. Something was about to happen, and it wasn't going to be pretty. She had to find Inu Yasha and Miroku and they had to get out of here. But, she still couldn't move. Suddenly the blue clouds darkened and began reaching for her, like long fingers on an invisible hand. Closer and closer they came, Kagome continued to struggle. She could no longer see Sango, the dark fog had completely enveloped her.

Then she felt the tentacles brush her face. She strained against her non-existent bonds, whipping her head around, pushing her arms to their limits, trying to find some hidden strength inside of her, to save herself and save her friends. Then she heard his laughter.

"Nooo!!" screamed Kagome.

* * *

Kagome must have come awake with a start because the dark lump beside her shifted and sighed. The room was dark and very still and it took her a moment to realize that she was in her bed. She laid there for a moment waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal. That was the third nightmare this week. Always the same fear, the same fog, and someone she felt she needed to save. Her therapist would want to know all about how she was supposed to save them.

"Why do you think they need your help, Kagome? What do you think the dark clouds symbolize?" She sighed. They felt real; they didn't feel like they symbolized anything except evil. And it was getting worse.

Usually after she had these dreams she would walk around the next day like a zombie. There were days when she felt totally isolated. She couldn't believe the effect they had on her. The dark circles weren't the only visible sign of her lack of sleep. She was jittery and forgetful, too. And she constantly felt as though something was wrong. Like a pair of shoes that were just a little too tight, something felt just slightly out of place. So she trudged on, willing herself to just make it through the day so she could go home and collapse. Her therapist says that she must be getting close to a "breakthrough." She sighed again, unintentionally louder.

"Honey, are you awake?"

Kagome winced. "I didn't mean to wake you, I'll go in the other room," she whispered.

"No, come here." He reached for her, wrapping his arms around her. Kagome let herself be held, still trying to piece together her dream. She was silent and still for a few moments, waiting for his breathing to go back to the steadiness of sleep. But he remained awake and turned her to face him.

"Another nightmare, Kagome?" She nodded. "That's three this week, isn't it? I'm worried about you, sweetheart. I want you to be happy, and I just don't know how to help you."

She looked into his eyes. "Miroku, I am happy. You haven't done anything wrong, and there isn't anything anyone can do to help. Please don't feel responsible."

She turned away and pressed her back into him. "Just hold me and help me go back to sleep."

He pressed back, parts of him more awake than others. "Are you sure that's all you need?" he asked, smiling at the back of her head.

"Don't you have to work in the morning?" Kagome answered wryly.

"I don't care if you don't care." His hands began to do more than just hold her.

"Pervert." She sighed again. But she didn't stop him.

* * *

"What do you think the dark clouds symbolize?"  
  
Kagome sighed. She was tired, and today more than previous visits, she just didn't feel cooperative. She felt irritated.  
  
"I don't know, Dr. Myouga. Maybe it all has to do with feeling trapped in a dead end job, powerless to get my school loans paid off, less of a woman because I don't have any kids yet, watching my best friend have babies and build a real home, missing both of my parents terribly, and wondering if I am married to the right man."  
  
He looked at her incredulously for a fraction of a second and then looked at his notepad.  
  
"Let's start with feeling trapped..."  
  
Kagome couldn't believe all of that had come out of her. What was wrong with her? That wasn't how she felt. That sounded like a bitter, selfish witch. She and Miroku decided they weren't going to have any children and she was just fine with that. Where did that come from? Married to the wrong man? She had been in love with Miroku almost since the moment she had met him and she had no regrets. But there was a twinge of sadness behind that thought. What was that? It was gone before she could put her finger on it, and she was just left feeling quite tired again, and slightly embarrassed. And definitely not paying attention to Dr. Myouga anymore.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Doctor. What were you saying?"  
  
He looked at her with concern. "I could give you a prescription for something to help you sleep."  
  
She looked at her hands. They were trembling slightly. She was suddenly overcome by a wave of emotion, and she struggled to hold back tears.  
  
"I feel like there is something terribly wrong, and I just need to fix it and everything will be fine," she whispered. "But I don't know what it is. Just like in the dream, there is something terrible coming. I can't find it, I can't see it, but I know it's coming. And it's not good."  
  
The doctor ripped a piece of paper from his pad. "Here, get this filled. It will help you sleep. You need to take care of yourself, Kagome. You are definitely making progress, but I need you to eat right and sleep. No need putting any extra strain on your body. Let your mind do the hard part. You will find your demons, Kagome."  
  
She stood and took the prescription. "That's what I'm afraid of."


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome slowly pushed her shopping cart through the aisle. She was feeling better over the last few weeks, the pills she had been taking had really knocked her out at night, and it seemed like that was just what her body needed. She was feeling much stronger, much more in control, and much less like a whiny, selfish brat. She smiled to herself.  
  
"Hormones," she thought. "That's all it was." That, and the need to stabilize them with large amounts of chocolate. She really had to start taking better care of herself like Dr. Myouga said. She looked thoughtfully at her list, and tossed a package of steak into the cart next to the lettuce.  
  
She was happy to be entertaining tonight; she and Miroku hadn't seen their friends in over a month. It always amazed her how wrapped up they all could get in their own lives, and never stop to visit with each other. Before Sango had the baby, she and Naraku were over at least once a week. And Miroku's best friend Inu Yasha was almost impossible to pin down these days, since his fiancé Kikyo got a modeling contract that took her (and by association, him) to Europe quite often.  
  
So today Kagome was happy. She hadn't had a nightmare in a few weeks. Sixteen days, to be exact. And tonight she was making steak and baked potatoes and salad for six people. But she forgot the green peppers, she thought to herself, so she swung her cart around and headed back to the produce section. She grabbed a loaf of Italian bread from a display and before she could look up again had run her cart smack into someone.  
  
"Oh God, I'm sorry..." Kagome began, but her apology died in her throat.  
  
"Yeah, thanks," the tall figure replied. She got a glimpse of his eyes before he spun on his heel, his long silver hair fanning around him like a shield, and they were tinted with a surprising amount of anger. There were only two people in this city with that crazy beautiful hair: Inu Yasha and his brother, Sesshomaru. Inu Yasha, wanting his heritage to blend in a little more seamlessly, always wore his long, almost white locks braided tightly, but his Sesshomaru took full advantage of his hair, using it as a distraction, a weapon, and to some even, an oddity.  
  
"And hello to you too, Sesshomaru. You act like I ran over your mother or something!" Kagome thought, feeling strangely irritated. "I only bumped him with my cart." She rarely saw Sess anymore, seeing as Inu Yasha moved out of their small bachelor pad and into an apartment with Kikyo almost three years ago. She knew that Sesshomaru was an introvert and would just as soon walk through you than acknowledge you. He was always more interested in mechanics than people, and when Inu Yasha had shared the small apartment with him, the kitchen table and surrounding areas were usually littered with computer components, wires, pieces of unidentifiable metal, and of course, pizza boxes. Inu Yasha hated to cook. Pizza and Ramen Noodles were the extent of his well-developed tastes  
  
Still, there was always something about Sesshomaru that made her skin tingle. Not sure if it was a good tingle, or more like a crawl, but he had an effect on Kagome that tended to confuse her.

* * *

"That's when he decided to dump the whole glass on my lap. So yeah, I was late."  
  
The group burst into laughter as Sango bent over to set the small child back onto the floor. He looked up at his mother, beaming with just enough mischievousness to take credit for the whole milk spilling accident. He tottered away after Kirara, trying in vain to catch the poor kitten's tail. Naraku gently grabbed his hand, giving the cat a few moments lead-time to get under the couch before becoming a squeak toy for Kohaku.  
  
Kagome got up and cleared some plates from the table as Inu Yasha brought out the pictures from their most recent visit to France. Kagome ran the water in the sink and she looked out over the island at her friends sitting around the table. She could hear the awe in Sango's voice as she flipped through the pictures, since she had never been anywhere but Tokyo in her entire life. The warm water ran soothingly over Kagome's hands and the voices from the table started to blend together into a rhythmic lull of laughter and low humming. For a moment Kagome leaned into it, relaxing and closing her eyes, but all of a sudden she realized something was wrong.  
  
Her eyes flew open in a panic and she tried to move, but found herself feeling almost drugged and not in control of her body. She opened her mouth to call Miroku but nothing except her breath escaped her lips with a quiet sigh. She felt as though she were dreaming, yet still standing in her kitchen, hearing Kikyo's musical laughter as Inu Yasha reached over and grabbed her playfully. It was as though she were no longer standing there, they couldn't see her or hear her, and she couldn't move. She fought to control her fear. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt as though she was falling.  
  
Kagome landed in grass and dirt and darkness. She sat very still for a moment and tried to adjust her eyes to the night. She was outside and she heard the sounds of birds and insects. And she also didn't feel alone. She carefully stood and tested her legs; they seemed to be obeying her now. Kagome put her hand out in front of her and took a few steps. She felt leaves softly brush her cheek, then came to a very large tree. Once she stepped around it she saw flickering orange light and thought she heard voices.  
  
She walked gingerly over the dry leaves, trying desperately to be quiet. She wasn't sure what brought that instinct out in her, but she felt as though she had been here before and it was critical that she be quiet.  
  
"Been here before?" she asked herself. "I don't ever remember going camping."  
  
And with that thought, she saw them. She saw herself and Miroku, and Inu Yasha, and Sango. They were sleeping around a fire. She was wrapped in a sleeping bag next to Sango. And Miroku and Inu Yasha were leaning up against tree trunks, seemingly asleep. Everything was believable up to that point, but then she saw Kirara. And stumbled backward, almost cracking her head on a low hanging branch. She turned around and ran as fast as she could in the direction she came. But she still had no idea where she was. And no idea at all how to get back to her kitchen. She began to really lose it, when she felt the ground beneath her begin to shake.  
  
Then movement erupted from both directions, as she heard 'her' group begin to react to the shaking. And she felt as though something terribly large and ominous was approaching her from the other direction. She backed up until she was right up against a large tree and put her hands over her ears.  
  
"This isn't really happening, I'm not really here." She desperately tried to reassure herself, but to no avail. Suddenly it felt as though all the air was ripped from her lungs, and she was lifted like she was nothing and tossed in the air. Her arms flailed wildly, searching for something to break her fall. She saw blinding white light, then darkness. Then she heard voices.  
  
One voice was so familiar. But then her head began to pound, as though the very act of thinking would cause it to simply explode. Mercifully, she didn't feel the floor as she slid down the front of the overflowing sink and landed solidly on her head in a puddle.

* * *

"No, I told you, I'm fine!" Kagome said. Miroku had moved her to the living room couch. Sango and Kikyo were in the kitchen cleaning up the water on the floor and Kagome was looking up in turn at Miroku, Inu Yasha, and Naraku, who were all studying her with concern.  
  
Naraku sat in a chair and put his hands behind his head. "You know, Sango passed out on me once. Scared me pretty bad, too. Turned out she was pregnant."  
  
Kagome wasn't sure whose mouth fell open furthest, and the house went silent. Even the cat seemed to look at her with curious eyes, as she probably wondered what it would be like to have a monster run behind her trying desperately to eat her tail every single day, instead of just when they had company. She mewed pitifully and slithered under the couch.  
  
"Thanks so much for coming everyone, it's been a wonderful night, let me get your coats." Kagome remarked, as she tried to get off the couch.  
  
"Whoa there. Don't go scaring the guests, sweetheart." Miroku said with a wink.  
  
"Kagome, you don't think..." Sango began.  
  
"No, actually, I don't." Kagome finished for her  
  
Kikyo looked nervous. She was probably wondering what she would do if she suddenly found herself pregnant. Her modeling career would come to a screeching halt. Inu Yasha took that opportunity to wrap his arm around her waist possessively and add a well-timed comment.  
  
"Can't wait for Kikyo to decide to pop out a puppy for me. I'd like to have two or three of them myself. As soon as she gets the whole modeling thing out of her system."  
  
Kagome cringed and Sango hid behind her in mock fear as Kikyo went from a smiling fiancé to a Martial Arts Professional, and took the very same arm that was a moment ago wrapped safely around her waist, and lighting fast had it bent painfully behind Inu Yasha's back. He let out a squeak that said he definitely wasn't prepared for her reaction.  
  
"WHAT? I said when you were done." He cried.  
  
Kikyo gave his arm another wicked little push and he fell silent. The only way to reason with her when she's like this, he quickly decided, was to shut up.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome felt the rough bark under her fingers, and realized she was again standing in front of a tree in a forest. She felt as though she had been in this very place before, and she was terrified to move further. She looked above her head, shaking with terror, as though something were about to swoop down and grab her in its teeth.  
  
The orange light flickered again, and she slowly moved around the tree. She heard voices. Then she heard her own voice, louder and more urgent above the rest.  
  
"...not safe here!" she cried. "...strange energy." This was all she could pick out.  
  
"Feh!" spat Inu Yasha. "You already said there aren't any shards."  
  
Shards? What was he talking about? Feeling slightly less threatened she paused for a moment to take in the scene. Everyone was dressed very strangely. She looked down at herself and realized that they would think her nightgown and slippers were just as strange in the middle of the forest. And they were all so young. Suddenly Miroku stood up, holding a staff and dressed in dark robes. And began to tell Inu Yasha that Kagome was right. Miroku? She didn't even know him at that age. She squinted her eyes, trying to see his face better. He looked so sweet, and so young, but yet so much more responsible than someone his age should be. As he moved from his spot the firelight danced upon a young girl, and she almost gasped. It was _her_! She was perched on a log, listening attentively to Miroku and wearing...no, that couldn't be. Kagome rubbed her eyes. She was wearing her old uniform from school! She stifled a giggle and took an awkward step backward.  
  
Suddenly the Kagome on the log put her hands to the sides of her head and seemed to look right at her.  
  
"There!" she cried. "I feel it again, in the trees!"  
  
Inu Yasha was up in a flash and heading straight for her! She wasn't quite sure what to do. She was pretty positive now that she was dreaming, and Inu Yasha had never been one to frighten her before. But _this_ Inu Yasha seemed dangerous. He was moving faster than she'd ever seen anyone move before and...he had ears. Like _dog_ ears, on the top of his head. Fear started to creep into the edge of her senses.  
  
"Okay, that's about enough, I'm outta here" Kagome thought to herself and turned to leave. But Inu Yasha was too fast and was there in seconds. Kagome brought her hands up to cover her face in fright. Inu Yasha tried to grab her shoulders but his claws slid through her as though she wasn't there.  
  
"Kagome?" she slowly lowered her hands and took a closer look at him. He was gaping at her, incredulously. He lifted his hands to her again and she saw long shimmering claws at the end of each fingers. She cringed away and opened her mouth to scream, but her breath was taken away.  
  
"Kagome? _Kagome?_" He was beginning to raise his voice in alarm. She wasn't sure if he was speaking to her or to the Kagome left on the log, but the group was quickly making their way to her spot.  
  
But then she felt darkness and heard them calling her name, but she was no longer there. Again it felt as though she'd been lifted as was being dangled by some invisible rope.  
  
"KAGOME!"

* * *

"It's just stupid, it doesn't make any sense." Kagome said, dejectedly.  
  
"I don't care if it feels stupid, what are you dreaming about, honey? Tell me, it will make it easier." Miroku sat across from her at the kitchen table the following morning, after seeing the telltale dark circles below Kagome's eyes that told him she again did not sleep. He gently held both of her hands and looked at her expectantly.  
  
"We're in a forest."  
  
"Okay. We who?"  
  
"Me and you and Sango and Inu Yasha."  
  
"Okay."  
  
She pulled her hands back slowly. "Except we were all kids, teenagers. I was even wearing a school uniform." She chuckled again, but then remembered that was reaction that got her caught in the first place.  
  
"You were wearing long dark robes and talking about shards. No, Inu Yasha was talking about shards. And he had ears like a dog, Miroku," she continued with a whisper, "and _claws_."  
  
Miroku laughed and waved his hands helplessly instead of interjecting a comment about Inu Yasha's sometimes dog-like nature.  
  
Kagome turned from him angrily. "Fine, you think it's so funny..."  
  
"No, no, I'm sorry. Please finish." Miroku said soberly.  
  
"I was telling you guys that we weren't safe because of some strange energy."  
  
Miroku looked thoughtful. "What kind of energy did you feel?"  
  
Kagome paused for a moment. "It wasn't me. I mean, it was _me_, but I was watching everyone. I mean..." she stammered.  
  
She took a breath. "I woke up in the forest and walked to a fire and saw MYSELF and you and Sango and Inu Yasha. So I guess there were two me's," she said emphatically.  
  
"And it was the other me who was talking about not being safe and such, and then she put her hands on her head like she was in pain and looked into the trees where I was standing and said 'Over there,' and then Inu Yasha came running at me super fast and tried to grab me, and then I woke up."  
  
"He never _did_ know how to keep his hands off of other people's women." Miroku said, thoughtfully. Then ducked as he looked at Kagome to see if her spirits had improved, or if she was still too sensitive for teasing. She was looking at the table.  
  
"He seemed _really_ surprised to see me. That was weird."  
  
"I'm sure it was, dear. You _were_ wearing bunny slippers, after all."  
  
Kagome arched an eyebrow at him and left the table.

* * *

"Ok Kagome, I want you to relax." Dr. Myouga said as he dimmed the light. Kagome lay back quietly in the chair and crossed her hands on her lap.  
  
"I want you to think about someplace very pretty. Perhaps next to a pond on a spring day or at the beach in the sun. Something that makes you feel comfortable and safe and happy."  
  
Kagome closed her eyes and shifted slightly. "Mmhmm." She replied  
  
"Good, now picture yourself there. You are relaxed. You are calm. You are happy. You have not a care in the world. You are not sleepy, but your whole body feels relaxed."  
  
Kagome was still. Dr. Myouga continued. "I am going to start to count backwards, Kagome. When I get to one, you will be completely relaxed. Can you still here me, Kagome?"  
  
"Yes." She answered quietly.  
  
"Then let's begin..." 


	4. Chapter 4

"Yeah, she seemed pretty upset about it." Miroku said quietly into his cell phone.  
  
"She's with her Dr. today, right?" Sango asked worriedly.  
  
"Yes, and I told her to make sure to bring it up. Who knows what it all means, but there is obviously something worrying her very much."  
  
"I'm glad she has Dr. Myouga. It was a good thing you finally convinced her to talk to someone about her parents last year. It is good to have someone you know you can depend on in times like this. He really helped her then, and I know he'll help her again now." Sango added.  
  
"Do you think this could be unresolved issues about her parents again?" Miroku asked.  
  
"Who knows? Hey, I am glad you called, Miroku, but I have to go chase the child. God only knows what he has managed to get himself into now. Kiss Kagome for me. Bye!"  
  
"Bye, Sango."

* * *

"Okay Kagome, how do you feel?"  
  
She fidgeted in her chair. "Fine"  
  
"So, Kagome, what do you see?"  
  
Dr. Myouga looked down at his notebook. He easily took Kagome down to a deep trance state; she was very open to suggestions. This was only the first time he had ever tried to hypnotize her, and he expected excellent results, due to her willingness to delve deep. He would allow her to tell him where she was, therefore telling him at what point she had gotten "hung up." Some patients went straight to six years of age, some stayed firmly grounded in adulthood. It all depended on the patient and where the pain was.  
  
"Um, it's almost sunset." She started, tentatively. "And wet. It was raining, but it stopped."  
  
"Excellent, Kagome. What else? Do you know where you are?"  
  
"Not really. I'm in a small village."  
  
'Interesting answer,' he thought. Not 'in a mall' or 'in a restaurant' but a 'small village.' He placed his pencil tip to the paper.  
  
"There are not many huts in this village."  
  
He looked at her for a moment. "Huts, Kagome? Do you see huts?"  
  
"Yes, but only a few. I think this closest one is the town Miko. It feels like the energy is strongest here."  
  
The doctor was amazed. He slowly set his paper down and leaned closer to Kagome.  
  
"Where are you, Kagome? Are you in Tokyo?"  
  
She shook her head. "No, but still in Japan. Not sure exactly where." She took a deep breath.  
  
"Can you hear anything, Kagome?" he wanted to get her to engage all of her senses. He couldn't believe everything this young woman was saying. He couldn't think of a single place where you could still find a Miko in a hut, so her wanted to know exactly where, and when she was seeing.  
  
"Mmm...no, it's pretty quiet."  
  
"Are there any people around you, Kagome?"  
  
She moved her head slightly, eyes still closed. She smiled slightly.  
  
"My friends. We're getting ready to leave this village. It seems as though Miroku-sama has upset Sango again, by repeatedly groping the women of this village. You'd think he'd be much more trustworthy, since he is a hoshi." Kagome giggled. "But it seems as though..." she stopped for a moment. A worried look crossed her face and she began to address her friends as though she were with them.  
  
"There's a shard, Inu Yasha. Maybe more than one, I can't tell because it's moving away quite quickly. We have to hurry."  
  
The doctor continued to watch Kagome. "A what? Where are you going?"  
  
"East. But we have to hurry! I'll climb on your back and Sango and Miroku can ride Kirara. That's the fastest way to go."  
  
The doctor was silent. Kagome put her hands to her head and moved slightly in the chair. She seemed as though she wished to get up and walk away, but was firmly rooted to her place.  
  
The doctor decided that this was plenty of information for him to quiz his patient with when she awoke, so her decided to start pulling her back.  
  
"Kagome, I am going to start to count again. And when I reach twenty you will open your eyes and be awake."  
  
Kagome clutched Inu Yasha's bright red haori as he leapt into the air covering as much ground as possible. She looked over to see Miroku planted firmly on Kirara behind Sango, and Shippou was holding tight to Kirara's fur and his tail was waving wildly in the wind.  
  
She felt the energy glowing brighter; it had stopped moving.  
  
"Wait, I think it stopped." Kagome ventured.  
  
With that, dozens of youkai appeared above them, with almost no warning whatsoever. Inu Yasha set Kagome on the ground and quickly unsheathed the Tessaiga. Sango released her boomerang with a yell and Kagome effortlessly notched an arrow into her bow and let fly. Within moments they had eradicated all traces of the demons. Kagome tilted her head and looked as though she were thinking.  
  
"There," she said, pointing towards a clearing. "It is strong, there are several Shikon shards!"  
  
Miroku stood still for a moment. "This feels like a trap," he stated. Only one being had 'several' shards, and that was Naraku. But why would he be outside of his barrier and carrying the almost whole Shikon no Tama that he possessed? It was as though he were baiting them.  
  
Suddenly Kagome screamed. The group looked at her to see that she was floating slightly above the ground, seemingly not of her own power. Inu Yasha grabbed for her, but his hand merely bounced off the barrier that surrounded her limp body.  
  
"Naraku!" Inu Yasha roared. "Let her go, you bastard!"  
  
"Hehehehe..." they heard from the darkness. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have her. _She_ does."  
  
Inu Yasha stormed toward the sound of Naraku's voice, his sword still at the ready, hate in his eyes. "Release her! I'll KILL you, Naraku!"  
  
At that moment, Kagome seemed to grow hazy with fog and then she completely disappeared. Inu Yasha was devastated.  
  
"NARAKU!"  
  
Naraku floated soundlessly away. His plan had worked; he had drawn the scraggly bunch of fighters to him by flaunting the Shikon no Tama. He knew that human girl could sense the shards, and now he had the information he needed. He knew the girl would be back.


	5. Chapter 5

"Damn, don't you ever clean up around here?" Inu Yasha asked as he eyed the electronics spread out on the kitchen table  
  
"Don't touch those," Sesshomaru snapped, moving quickly to the table. "Those are all very expensive components, and I doubt you know the proper way to handle them."  
  
"Feh." Inu Yasha answered. "What's wrong with you today, anyway?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Inu Yasha looked more closely at his brother. "You look like shit. Rough night last night, eh? Party hard, bring home some babes?" Inu Yasha nudged Sess with an elbow.  
  
"Hardly," he replied. "Just not sleeping well, if you plan to aggravate an answer out of me."  
  
"Hey, I hear Kagome's got some good drugs from her doctor to help her sleep since she started having nightmares. Want me to try to get a hold of some of them?"  
  
Sess raised an eyebrow at Inu Yasha. "Nightmares?" he inquired. "About what?"  
  
Inu Yasha shrugged as he stuck an apple in his mouth and ducked back behind the refrigerator door. "Don't you have anything to eat around here?"  
  
"Inu Yasha," Sess began, "you no longer live here, why do you _continue_ to act as though you do?"  
  
Inu Yasha looked hurt...but only for a moment. Then he smiled and took another bite of the apple.  
  
"So, what of these nightmares, Inu Yasha? Do you know?"  
  
Inu Yasha eyed him curiously. "Why do _you_ care?"  
  
Sesshomaru paused for a moment. "I'm studying the brain waves of nightmares."  
  
"Huh," Inu Yasha said without interest. "That what all this shit around here is for?"  
  
"Something like that." Sess sat quietly for another minute, looking patiently at Inu Yasha. Inu Yasha looked back at him dully.  
  
"The _nightmares_, Inu Yasha?"  
  
"I don't know much," he began between bites. "Miroku said something about a forest and a fire and the whole gang. We must have been singing folk songs or something."  
  
Sess slammed his hand quickly on the table, startling Inu Yasha. "I'm serious. Do you or do you not know anything about the dreams?"  
  
"Dude, calm down. Something about some energy force. And everybody was a teenager in her dream. And I had _claws_." Inu Yasha seemed to think this part was cool and he further examined his hands, possibly hoping that claws would spring out of them at any moment.  
  
"I see." Sesshomaru said neutrally.

* * *

Kagome wiggled her fingers and yawned. Dr. Myouga was still looking at his notepad. Suddenly he seemed to remember his patient was in the room, and leaned over and attempted to turn off the tape recorder. He seemed to completely miss the machine on the first try then managed to turn it off and almost eject it across his desk. He picked the tape up and set it on a pile of papers. Then picked it up, looked at it a moment, looked at Kagome, then set it on its final resting place on the corner of his desk. He took a deep breath and adjusted his tie.  
  
"Kagome. How do you feel? Do you feel any different?"  
  
She looked at him curiously. "No, I don't think so. Should I actually feel different?"  
  
"Well, uh. Not necessarily. Does anything seem clearer or less confusing?"  
  
"Nothing. Why do you ask, Dr. Myouga?"  
  
"Sometimes things become clearer after only one session. But this will definitely take more sessions to put together. I'd definitely like to try again next week."  
  
"That's it?" Kagome asked, rather abruptly. "What did I talk about?"  
  
Dr. Myouga bent to his notepad once more. "Some of the things you brought up were quizzical, and I definitely want the opportunity to consult with another doctor." Dr. Myouga looked at her reassuringly. "Nothing in detail, we just work so much better when we put our heads together. I'll probably have more questions for you for our next session."  
  
Kagome felt as though she were being dismissed. She leaned forward to speak again and the doctor continued.  
  
"You may still have nightmares or instances like the blackout in your kitchen. Your homework assignment is for you to keep very careful track of everything and write it down so we can further discuss it. And that means anything. Dreams, feelings, or the like. Anything that feels...out of sorts. Okay?"  
  
"That's it?" Kagome seemed disappointed.  
  
Dr. Myouga looked at Kagome. "Rome wasn't built in a day, right? I know you want answers right now, but the truth is, they just aren't there yet. We are going to find all the answers you need, Kagome, in time."

* * *

Sess seemed to be floating as he watched the scene unfold below him. He was there, in long flowing robes, his eyes flashing red. Inu Yasha faced him, separating him from Kagome. Inu Yasha raised his sword to Sesshomaru. Then suddenly Sesshomaru began to transform. He watched as the figure before him stretched and contorted and finally grew into a large white...dog? As surprising as it was, it felt right for some reason. _Where did that idea come from?_ Sess quickly pushed the thought from his mind and continued to watch.  
  
Inu Yasha flew at the large dog, swinging and hacking with his sword. He seemed to be accomplishing nothing and Sesshomaru smirked at the bumbling inefficiency Inu Yasha regularly displayed, even here. Where ever _here_ was.  
  
Suddenly Inu Yasha's sword began to pulse and glow. Then slowly it grew to twice its length as it hissed and electricity seemed to swirl around it. With a mighty yell Inu Yasha dragged the blade up the giant canine's front leg and severed it. Sess felt his own arm tingle at the sight. The demon dog bared his teeth at Inu Yasha. Sess held his breath waiting for a counter-strike, but there was none. The dog seemed to disappear into a speck of brilliant light and float away.  
  
Sesshomaru sighed uneasily. He raised his hands to run his fingers through his hair and looked down to find himself dressed in the long white robes that his other self had been wearing just moments ago. And his left arm was gone. He was full of anger and found his remaining hand beginning to unsheathe his sword.  
  
"What am I doing, I have no idea how to use a sword?" he thought frantically. But he had no control over his movements and he heard his voice cry out to Inu Yasha.  
  
"I will finish you now, Hanyo!" he roared. _What am I talking about?  
_  
Inu Yasha turned to him completely surprised. He looked to the pulsing Tokijin in his hand and the emptiness where his other arm should have been, and for a moment seemed confused. But then his eyes filled with a wicked amusement.  
  
"Not had enough yet, baka? C'mere, I'll cut off your other arm. Kaze no Kizu!"  
  
And Sesshomaru came a foot off the bed, tangled in the sheets. His heart was threatening to beat right out of his chest, sweat was dripping down his forehead, and he was filled with a terror he couldn't explain.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone. ::waves:: I'm the new kid, I guess. I'd love some reviews if anyone has anything to add/correct/suggest or just wants to say "Hi!" Thanks for reading!**

**xoxoxo  
Col'sha**


	6. Chapter 6

Sesshomaru sat at the window of his small kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand. He was mulling over the feelings that his dream had brought up in him again. It had been a while since he'd had any nightmares like that, but he _had_ indeed had them before. Inu Yasha must have planted the seed in his brain by talking about that woman's dreams the previous day.  
  
"Could they be related?" Sess thought. He shook his head violently. "I've been through this before. None of it is real, no matter how real it seems."  
  
_But he told you there would be another._ Stop it! It isn't real, _he_ wasn't real!  
  
_Then why did he tell you this would happen?_  
  
"It was just a dream, damnit!" Sess growled. He got up and poured the remainder of his rapidly cooling coffee into the sink.  
  
_You have to ask her.  
_  
"I'll do nothing of the sort." Sess told himself. "I have no reason to speak to that—woman."  
  
_Kagome.  
_  
Sesshomaru remembered his first dreams of her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How good she had smelled when he held her. But the smell of blood always followed. Sess stifled a moan and fought the rest of the visions that threatened to fill his head.  
  
"Sesshomaru, you must finish what we started, no matter what. Promise me!" He heard her voice over the screaming wind. He saw her face lit softly for a moment before the clouds obscured the moon and he was terrified. Even though he knew how it ended because he suffered through it endless times, the look on her face was always calm as her hair whipped around them like a black tornado. She looked at him with trust in her eyes and lifted her lips to give him that first kiss. The kiss that forever hung in the air, achingly incomplete. He couldn't help it, he slowly closed his eyes, praying that this would be the time his lips finally reached hers before the agonizing scream.  
  
Sesshomaru groaned in pain. His hands found the sides of his face then dug into his hair, pulling viciously, trying to awaken from this daydream. He refused to be pulled back into the vision. He fought so long to free himself from this insanity. "I will not begin any of this again. It is OVER!" he practically begged aloud.  
  
_It is not over. It is finally just beginning._

* * *

"I'll have a cheeseburger with fries." Miroku said, closing his menu.  
  
"Yeah, me too. But make mine a double. And put bacon on it. Large fries, too. And a milkshake, chocolate." Inu Yasha added.  
  
Sango looked at them like misbehaving children. "I'll have the chicken salad, dressing on the side please. And an iced tea."  
  
Miroku and Inu Yasha looked at each other, feigning horror at her selection. "Sango, why don't you loosen up and have a burger?"  
  
"Because I am still trying to remove this baby fat from my body. And even if I wasn't, I'd like to live past my fifties, you know? You'll end up with clogged arteries and a stroke if you keep eating like that."  
  
Inu Yasha shrugged. "But I'll die a happy man."  
  
Miroku laughed. "Okay, now on to business."  
  
Sango took out a small spiral notebook. "I think we should have the party in my backyard. That way we have the big pool and the hot tub. We've got the covered veranda in case the weather doesn't cooperate." She took a few notes and then squealed, "Oh, and I know a great caterer!"  
  
Inu Yasha looked bored. "I wish Kikyo didn't have to go away without me this time. She should really be here instead. I'm no good at planning parties! That's girl stuff."  
  
Sango smacked him lightly with her notebook. "You have been Kagome's friend longer than any of us, Inu Yasha! I can't believe you wouldn't be excited to help plan a surprise party for her!"  
  
Inu Yasha looked guilty for a moment. But it passed, as usual. "Feh. I'll do whatever."  
  
Sango directed her attention back to Miroku. "I really think the backyard is better than renting a hall or something. Do you agree?"  
  
"Yeah, that sounds great, Sango. Thank you so much for being so generous!"  
  
Sango waved her hands, "It's nothing. I love Kagome like a sister so there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her! Besides, it's an excuse to get the house and yard all decked out, cater delicious food, drink ridiculous amounts of liquor, and party!"  
  
At that Inu Yasha raised his hand and gave a whoop as though he was at a basketball game instead of at a family restaurant. "Whoo Hoo! Ridiculous amounts of liquor! I'm in!!!"  
  
Several older couples stopped talking and turned to observe their table. Miroku chuckled softly, and Sango blushed scarlet, hitting Inu Yasha squarely in the nose with her notebook, like a bad puppy.  
  
"My God, Inu Yasha, were you raised by wolves? Don't you know how to act in public?" Sango hissed at him.  
  
Inu Yasha snatched her notebook from her and threw it on the table, looking at her as though she were the crazy one. "Stop hitting me, for Christ's sake! I thought you wanted me to be excited and get involved?"  
  
Miroku looked at Sango reassuringly. "Beggars can't be choosers, Sango. He's right, be happy you have his involvement."  
  
"Fine," Sango relented. "Why don't you put together a guest list then." She picked up the notebook and extended it to Inu Yasha who tried to jump behind Miroku in mock fright before taking the book and the pen from her. She raised an eyebrow at him, but he was already scribbling down names.  
  
"How many people were you guys thinking? We can get quite a few people in your pool, but not as many in the hot tub." Inu Yasha snickered with a sneaky look on his face. Miroku assumed he was doing the math to figure out how many scantily clad girls he could get in the hot tub with him.  
  
"Hmm." Miroku thought for a moment. "More important is the cost of the caterer. We may not be able to afford to feed too many people."  
  
Sango beamed. "The caterer will be cheap! Kouga is an old friend of mine. He'll charge us next to nothing!" Sango looked up to see confused faces. "Kouga _owns_ a catering company!"  
  
"I never liked that guy." Inu Yasha added without looking up from his list. "He's a fruitcake."  
  
"Inu Yasha! That is so un-PC!" Miroku chided. "He is of an alternative lifestyle."  
  
Sango tried to stifle a giggle. "Knock it off, he is my friend, and he may save us a lot of money for this party, so let's be civil, okay?"  
  
"Fine by me. But if that fairy even _thinks_ about touching me, I'll break his neck."  
  
"Inu Yasha. Not every gay man is going to find you attractive, you know? You may not even be his type."  
  
"Keh. I don't care, just keep him away from me!"  
  
"Fine!" Sango ended it.  
  
"I'm going to invite my brother. He needs to get out of the house." Inu Yasha said as he continued to write.  
  
"How's he doing? I haven't spoken to him in months. What's he up to?" Miroku inquired.  
  
Inu Yasha bit the tip of the pen. "Hell if I know. Last time I talked to him he was studying nightmares."  
  
Miroku looked interested. "Really? Studying them how?"  
  
"I have no idea. He only told me because I mentioned that Kagome was having nightmares. He seemed interested."  
  
"Yeah, definitely invite him. I'd be interested in talking to him about it. Maybe Kagome would be, too."  
  
"Okay, he's on the list." Inu Yasha said, as their food arrived.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello again, and thanks to all who've read! I'd love any and all comments/suggestions!**

**xoxoxo  
Col'sha**

****

* * *

Kagome tossed her keys in her purse and slammed the door of her car before heading towards the doctor's office. She wasn't sure how she felt today. She was really disappointed after her last visit. Kagome had really hoped that she would come up with something to explain her strange nightmares and blackouts. Dr. Myouga told her that sometimes it took several visits. Kagome just felt this sense of dread, like she didn't really have the time to wait. The doctor had explained to her that it was simple anxiety she had been feeling.  
  
"When you have a sense of fear or foreboding that isn't related to anything that is actually happening—that's anxiety. And it can be quite dangerous to your mental health if we don't get it under control. What we need to do is help you figure out what it is that you are 'afraid' of so you can face it and therefore wipe out your anxiety. It isn't always easy, but there is usually some underlying cause."  
  
Kagome just felt as though everyone was on edge lately, not only herself. Miroku was acting peculiar, and when she tried to talk to Sango about her feelings, Sango all but brushed her off. Inu Yasha was out of the country with Kikyo again, so she had just had an acute feeling of being abandoned.  
  
'I'm too old for this,' she thought to herself bitterly. She wished she could talk to her mother about all this. She felt the hot sting of tears at the thought of her mother. She missed her so much. She didn't think she would ever get over it. It was supposed to get easier, but Kagome still felt so raw whenever she reexamined the void left in her life by her mother's death four years ago. She quickly swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand before she pushed the door open and was hit with the dry air conditioned coolness of Dr. Myouga's office.  
  
"Good afternoon, Kagome. Dr. Myouga will be ready for you in just a few minutes, okay?" Kagome looked at the desk to see Rin, Dr. Myouga's receptionist. No matter how you felt when you arrived at the doctor's office, Rin always made you feel better. She always had such a bright smile. People just shouldn't be allowed to be so freaking happy, Kagome had thought upon first meeting Rin. This was months after her mother's death, when Kagome was at her very lowest. Rin's sweet chatter felt like sandpaper on her delicate sensibilities. It slowly became obvious that Rin's cheerful demeanor was actually good for Kagome, as she began to look forward to her short interactions with the young woman. Today was no different.  
  
"How are you Rin?" Kagome asked, trying to return the smile.  
  
"Oh, I'm great! And you? I haven't seen you two weeks in a row for quite a while now." Rin observed. She became slightly sober. "How have you been?" she asked, with great concern. Where this would have been a highly inappropriate question from a mere receptionist in most cases, she and Kagome had a good enough relationship that it only communicated genuine care for her friend.  
  
Kagome looked at Rin for a moment. "Actually, I'm really okay. I just need to get to the bottom of some nightmares I've been having lately. Nothing major. I _am_ okay."  
  
Rin smiled again. "I'm glad to hear you're doing fine then." At that, an intercom buzzed on her desk and she gestured towards the doctor's door. "Go right in, Kagome."  
  
"Thanks, Rin," Kagome said over her shoulder. She opened the door and slid inside.

* * *

"So, Kagome, you've decided you would like to continue with the hypnosis?"  
  
Kagome nodded her head firmly. "Yes, absolutely. We are going to make progress today, I can feel it," she added insistently.  
  
The doctor took a moment to observe her. He had spent many hours on the phone with his colleagues and just as many in the dim light of his computer screen while reading research and correspondence. He was positively intrigued with the results of Kagome's hypnotism. And he was not at all happy that he could not find any serious research of that type. It seems as though any patient that ever exhibited evidence of having a past life was proven to be a fraud before the end of their treatment. Could Kagome be lying? She had nothing to gain from it and it seemed to truly pain her. Dr. Myouga spent his last week caught up in inner conversations just like this. He felt the need to defend himself and his patient to the other doctors he consulted with as well. One of his closest friends, one who he though would be incredibly open-minded, was the most skeptical. He came within a hair's breadth of flat out accusing him of lying. It was clear that he had some difficult work ahead of him, if what he _thought_ was happening with Kagome was indeed happening. But he definitely didn't plan to discuss it further with his colleagues. Not until they had several more sessions, and he had a lot more information to go on.  
  
"I'm glad you'd like to continue. Let's get started then." Dr. Myouga motioned for Kagome to sit back in the chair while he stood to dim the lights. "Please relax."  
  
The doctor stepped behind his desk and pressed a button on the tape recorder. Then he came around the desk and positioned himself on the chair in front of Kagome.  
  
Kagome again closed her eyes and folded her hands on her chest. She listened to the doctor's smooth voice as he walked her through her relaxation. She followed his directions, clearing her mind, picturing her special place where she felt the most relaxed, and then putting herself there. She found herself surround by lush trees and greenery. The air smelled clean and fresh like it had just rained and washed away everything impure. The grass felt cool beneath her bare feet and the air caressed her arms and legs. She could barely hear Dr. Myouga's voice over the sudden sound of water rushing. It sounded like a waterfall.  
  
"Mmm...a waterfall." She murmured.  
  
"Good, Kagome, what else?" she heard a quiet voice inquire.  
  
Kagome spun around with childish glee in the damp grass. 'I feel so different,' she marveled to herself. She ran to the water and nimbly climbed on to a rock then dipped her foot into the crystal clear water. She closed her eyes, and tipped her head towards the sky and felt the sun on her face. Then she realized one of the things that felt so different was the absence of any fear or anxiety.  
  
"Has it really been so long since I lived without this sense of dread?" she wondered out loud.  
  
"What do you dread, Kagome?" the formless voice asked her.  
  
"Why, nothing at all." She replied. "I feel perfectly calm and relaxed here. It is beautiful."  
  
A gentle breeze tossed her hair about, and flipped the collar of her blouse into her face. She raised a hand to smooth her hair and realized that she again seemed to be wearing her school uniform. She grinned amusedly and looked at her hands. "No wonder I feel so different. I'm probably fifteen years younger." She giggled and stood on the rock, running her fingers through her longer hair. 'I remember how much I loved my hair this long.' She mused. But duty calls, and adult women don't wear their hair like young virgins in the workforce. Not if they want to be taken seriously, anyway. So the locks were chopped after college. But for now, they were back and she was thoroughly enjoying them. She jumped off the rock and admired her legs. 'God, I never appreciated my body when it looked like this. Boy, do I wish it still did.' She ran her hands down her body feeling slightly smaller and incredibly firm breasts. Then a narrow waistline and flat stomach followed by strong thighs.  
  
"Was I really this lean?" she asked aloud.  
  
"What do you mean, Kagome?" the voice again interrupted.  
  
She squeezed her thighs with both hands. "I was never _ever_ this fit. My legs feel like iron. I bet I could run ten miles."  
  
'Ah, good. Again we are not just dealing with her past, we are dealing with a past that she doesn't recall existing. This is the right direction,' Dr. Myouga thought.  
  
Suddenly the sky began to darken. Kagome shivered as the air drastically cooled and the water began to churn as though it was disturbed. Kagome wrapped her thin arms around herself and looked around.  
  
"Kagome, what do you see now?" the doctor continued.  
  
"It's getting dark. Like it's going to storm. And—and cold." The once gentle breeze turned to chaotic gusts of wintry cold air. Kagome began to shake.  
  
Dr. Myouga looked at her sitting in the chair with her arms wrapped around herself, shaking in the 70-degree office as though she were seated in a snow bank. Her teeth began to chatter. He wrestled with himself about how far to let her go. She seemed to really need answers and would probably be disappointed if he stopped now. But he had to consider her safety as well. He had no experience with the ramifications of mentally thrusting someone back into a past life. He had no idea what would happen to her body that was still very much in the present. He decided to go a little longer, if she felt comfortable with it.  
  
"Kagome, do you wish to stop? Shall I bring you back?"  
  
"Wait," she answered through clenched teeth. "I want to see what's going on."

* * *

"KAGOME!" a shrill voice called to her. She looked up to see a small child practically hurl itself at her. She caught the boy in midair and he held her with tiny arms while sobbing into her shoulder.  
  
"Inu Yasha's being mean to MEEEEEE!" The child wailed. Speechless, she took a closer look at the 'child.' The young boy was only the size of a toddler, but was obviously older than he looked. He had a ponytail of bright red hair on the top of his head...and a tail. She steadied herself. _Again with the tails. Why does everyone in my dreams have tails these days?_  
  
Inu Yasha quickly came around a bush with his fists clenched, growling. Kagome practically jumped out of her skin as he made his way to her. He stopped instantly as he saw the look of terror in her eyes.  
  
"Kagome, what is it?"  
  
Inu Yasha stood before her, dressed in a red haori and matching red pants. His head was cocked to the side as he watched her curiously. He wore beads around his neck and had a sword at his side. As in her last dream, he had ears on the top of his head and claws at the end of his fingers. She swallowed hard before answering.  
  
"I—I mean, well..."  
  
"Kagome-chan!"   
"Kagome-sama!"  
  
Kagome looked towards the narrow trail and Sango emerged, followed by Miroku. Kagome visibly relaxed at the sign of Miroku.  
  
"You're here." She said, directing her comment to Miroku. He did not catch this and seemed preoccupied with watching Sango. Sango's eyes were on Kagome's face and she was blushing slightly.  
  
Kagome tilted her head up and closed her eyes. "Okay, doctor. It seems as though Inu Yasha and Sango and Miroku are all here now." Kagome looked down at the bundle in her arms that was now watching her face intently. "And an adorable little child with a tail." Shippou gave Kagome a half smile and a sniffle.  
  
Kagome waited for the doctor's soothing voice to come to her through the clouds again, but she heard nothing. Inu Yasha glanced at Sango and Miroku then looked back at Kagome, worriedly.  
  
"Kagome, who are you talking to?" Inu Yasha asked her slowly.  
  
Kagome opened her eyes and looked at the group again. She decided if she didn't have the doctor's help she would take some initiative and ask some of her own questions.  
  
"Okay. Answer a few questions for me, please, Inu Yasha?" Kagome began, authoritatively.  
  
"Sure." He answered.  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
Inu Yasha sniffed the air. "I couldn't tell you exactly, but we are a five day walk east of the village." He sniffed again. "We aren't anywhere near another village, though. So if that's what you were hoping for, it probably won't happen for a few days. Wasn't your bath here good enough?" he asked.  
  
"Never mind." She answered. "What time is it?" Inu Yasha looked at her confused, and then looked at the sky.  
  
"No, no—I mean, what _year_ is it?" Kagome asked, mildly irritated. She saw no roads, no houses, and no civilization of any kind. Everyone in the group was dressed the way she had only seen in books and movies. But, here she was, in a school uniform. And this did not seem to phase them at all."  
  
"Feh! Did you all of a sudden forget where you go when you pass through the well?" Inu Yasha said, offhandedly. "This is Sengoku Jidai, of course."  
  
Kagome thought for a moment. "Sengoku Jidai?" she repeated, as she desperately tried to remember some history. No, that couldn't be right.  
  
Inu Yasha was looking at her as though she had just grown another head. Sango quickly approached Kagome and put her arm around her shoulder. "Inu Yasha, can't you see that something is wrong with Kagome?"  
  
Miroku was suddenly on her other side. Kagome took Miroku's hand and held it tightly to her heart. Inu Yasha's eyes popped open wide and he violently grabbed Miroku's hand and pushed it away.  
  
"What are you doing, you perverted monk? Trying to take advantage of her?"  
  
In a flash Sango had relieved Miroku of his staff and knocked him away from Kagome.  
  
"Hoshi-sama! Behave! Kagome is not well!"  
  
Miroku could only stammer and blush as he looked at Kagome, then at his hand, and back to Kagome again. "I—I—she—she..."  
  
"How can he take advantage of me? He's my husband!"  
  
Inu Yasha's first thought was how he would kill the monk for somehow running off with Kagome and mating with her right under his nose. But the monk had other plans and had passed dead away in a messy pile of robes at their feet.  
  
Kagome reached for him with a cry, but felt as though she were being dangled just beyond his still form. Sango jumped back and Inu Yasha quickly brandished the Tessaiga. Kagome opened her mouth but wasn't able to make a sound. The last thing she heard before the world went white was, not surprisingly, Inu Yasha's voice, sounding irritated.  
  
"Not _again_!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Kagome."  
  
The doctor had been listening spellbound for the past few minutes. Sengoku Jidai? A child with a tail? He noticed she was suddenly silent, and it almost seemed as though she was trying to bring herself back up from her hypnotic state.  
  
"Kagome, I am going to count backwards from ten, and when I reach one, you will open your eyes and be well rested." He paused briefly before making his decision. "You will remember nothing of this session, but will feel calm and relaxed. Ten, nine, eight..."  
  
Kagome opened her eyes. She tilted her head and looked curiously at Dr. Myouga. He seemed startled to see her alert and silently questioning him. He quickly got up from his chair and circled behind his desk.  
  
"How do you feel, Kagome?" he asked.  
  
"Fine." She stifled a yawn. "I feel quite good, actually. Like I've had a nice long nap." She stood from the chair and suddenly the room quivered in front of her and her knees began to buckle.  
  
She put her hand out to grab the chair as she swayed precariously. The doctor saw her begin to crumble and was instantly at her side.  
  
"Easy, Kagome! Sit back down." He said, worriedly. "Don't try to get up yet. You must have moved too quickly after sitting for so long. All the blood left your head." He eased her back into the chair.  
  
Kagome leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, willing the sudden nausea and vertigo to subside. She found her voice and asked the doctor quietly, "Dr. Myouga, what have we been talking about?"  
  
The doctor looked quickly away from Kagome's eyes. "Kagome, I am not certain what memories you have been speaking about these last two sessions. But I would really rather wait to discuss them until we have a little more background. I don't think it will hurt to have a few more sessions before we actually bring up the subject of your memories."  
  
Kagome was surprised. "But—but, they're _my_ memories! Why won't you tell me what they are?" Kagome was suddenly scared. "What happened? What am I blocking out? Please, it is very important that you tell me, doctor!" She began to lift herself out of the chair to be hit again with a fuzzy head and a disturbed stomach. Now she began to panic. She fought to keep her breathing steady, and fought the tears that were beginning to gather in her eyes.  
  
"Kagome, I want you to relax. I am not keeping anything from you. If it is that important to you right this minute then we will talk about it. It is nothing for you to get upset about. You are not hiding anything terrible or frightening. I just need you to relax." The doctor watched her for a moment as this information sunk in. She seemed to calm slightly. He adjusted his tie and smoothed his shirt as he sat back down at his desk.  
  
"It seems as though you are regressing back to your late teenage years. You have discussed seeing your friend—" the doctor referenced his notes, "Inu Yasha. And also Sango. You have talked briefly about your husband. It seems, however, that we will focus on your late teens. You haven't shared anything with me that you need to worry about, Kagome. I just hadn't yet put these fragments into any kind of timeline for us to work with. I'd just like a little more time to organize my notes and recordings." Dr. Myouga considered Kagome for a moment. She seemed to be digesting everything he had told her. He really needed more time to think before he shared the specifics of her memories. She was so easily agitated that he didn't want to worry her needlessly about her mental health.  
  
There was a soft knock on the door. The doctor moved to the door soundlessly and Rin poked her head inside and whispered something urgently to him. Dr. Myouga moved to Kagome's side once again. "Kagome, please stay in the chair for a few moments more. I have an emergency call I must take. _Please_ don't get up yet. I don't need you cracking your head on the desk." He pressed his hand to her shoulder and quickly left the room.  
  
Kagome sat in the chair for a few minutes longer and began to wonder if Dr. Myouga meant for her to sit and wait until he returned. She tried her legs again and found that her head had finally cleared. She had also come to the conclusion that Dr. Myouga wasn't telling her the whole truth. She still shook slightly, but more with determination than fear.

* * *

"How is your head? I though I asked you to stay put." Dr. Myouga asked brusquely as he opened the door to find Kagome directly on the other side of it, preparing to open it herself.  
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed, taking a short step back as he startled her. "I am feeling much better. I really just needed to sit for another moment." She looked at her watch. "But I really must go, I completely lost track of the time. Don't you have another appointment?"  
  
"No, you're my last in the office for today, I have to go to the hospital."  
  
"Well, thank you so much, doctor. I'll call Rin to schedule our time for next week. Bye!"  
  
"Bye, Kagome." Dr. Myouga watched her hurry out of the office. He knew she wouldn't be held off for too long, so he hoped to come up with some answers for her for their next session.

* * *

Kagome turned the key in the ignition and started to put the car in gear, but then stopped. Her hand slipped into her purse and she looked down guiltily at the tape in her hand. In black marker it said "Higurashi, K - 1" and on the other side it simply said "2". She wondered if she could get in trouble for taking it. It was confidential information after all. She decided not to worry too much about it; it was _her_ information, anyway. And if Dr. Myouga had told her what she needed to know in the first place, she wouldn't have had to take it. 'That's it, Kagome, rationalize it.' She though to herself, smirking. She ran her finger over the tape one last time before she slid it back into her purse and left the parking lot.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks to reviewers!! Good questions, too. You definitely need someone standing over your shoulder saying things like, "No, you can't put that there. How will you explain it? You can't put that man at the scene of the crime, you already said he was out of town." I find myself going "Whoops. Can't do that. Already wrote it a different way." LoL I will do my very best to answer these questions and more in upocoming chapters. So, until then...thanks again! Read, review, enjoy!**

**xoxoxo  
Col'Sha**

****

* * *

Sesshomaru sat quietly at the table. His head ached. He was slowly realizing that he wasn't crazy. And it was more frightening than when he thought he was. He no longer dared to sleep so his body managed to steal a couple of hours every few days when he collapsed with exhaustion. He knew he should probably tell her. She probably had no idea what she was now a part of.  
  
"I can't believe I'm entertaining the idea that this could be real." He said aloud. "And that I'm now talking to myself like a real crazy person." He stood up and began to pace the small kitchen.  
  
He had gotten rid of everything, all of his notes, all of his tapes. Anything that would have proven he was crazy. Anything that could have proven that he did not belong here. He had tucked those memories into a safe little compartment in his mind and went on with his life. So many crazy people do that, he told himself. You take the crazy and just tuck it away where no one can find it and you try to be normal. He had forgotten the possibility that somewhere, some _time_, he could have been so much more than he was now. He could have been powerful, regal, important, better than _human_. But his delusions had almost cost him everything. He had flunked quite a few classes, pissed off a few professors and set himself back more than a full year in school. He doubted he could ever again concentrate on a thesis and his degree seemed like a mirage in the distance. But he was struggling through and he couldn't let himself get distracted by these impossibilities again.  
  
"And what am I supposed to do? Show up on her doorstep? 'Hi, I know you can't stand the sight of me, but I have some important information about your dreams. They're _real!'_ Yeah, she'll be dialing 911 before I can say another word. 'Here he is, slap the cuffs on!'" Sess ran his fingers through his hair nervously.  
  
Unbeknownst to him, it began so much the same as it had for Kagome. The dreams came first. But Sess had shielded himself from intimate relationships for years and had no web of support around him as Kagome had. Sess told no one of his dreams, even as they began to interfere with his studies. He began to take notes and put together a rather intricate story of a world that didn't seem to exist, but was too well constructed to be the mere work of an overworked, dreaming mind. He became obsessed and lost himself in this fantasy world. Wanting to delve deeper he finally asked a fellow intern to hypnotize him.  
  
He was not lucky enough to have a therapist shielding him from the realities of his sessions. His buddy simply tossed him the tape after the session and commented on Sesshomaru's imaginative subconscious.  
  
"I wonder where you got all this from?" his friend had asked him nonchalantly after listening to the tape of his first session. Sess nodded mutely. He was at a loss for words as he rewound the end of the tape to listen for a third time.  
  
Click.  
  
"What do you see, Sesshomaru?"  
  
"There's blood everywhere," his voice on the tape shook. "It's dripping from the trees and puddled in the grass."  
  
"Where is the blood coming from?" the voice inquired.  
  
"And it's all over my sword."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Your sword?" the voice asked incredulously.  
  
"I killed them."  
  
"Who did you kill?"  
  
"All of them."  
  
Click.

* * *

Kagome was washing dishes and feeling more and more agitated. She hadn't had a moment alone since she returned from Dr. Myouga's office. Miroku was home when she arrived and they set about making dinner and talking about the day. He was home for the night and she couldn't really sneak off to listen to it while he was home. She didn't really want Miroku to know she had stolen her session tape, either. He was worried enough about her, she didn't want him to know she had stooped to thievery. She smiled for a moment. She was always such a _good_ girl. She couldn't remember the last time she had stolen anything.  
  
She was questioning whether or not she really wanted to know what was on the tape. Kagome had had several hours so far to toss it around in her head. The doctor felt it was important, but he didn't want to share any of it with her yet. Should she just trust his judgment and wait? She was curious and a little scared at the same time. In a way she was glad she didn't have to make the decision tonight. She would just wait until tomorrow. Kagome remembered how she felt with her hand on the tape in her car. Part of her wanted to listen right away but she was afraid of what she might hear, so she decided against listening while driving. For a fleeting moment she thought of Pandora's box and wondered what she would be letting out when she listened to it.

* * *

Click  
  
"All of them."  
  
Click  
  
"Why didn't you push me harder?" Sess spat at his calm friend. "Who did I kill?"  
  
"You heard me, I asked you twice. I wasn't going to push it any more than that in your first session, man. We can try it again, but I think we should quit for today. I'll come back tomorrow." His friend looked at him sideways. "Get some sleep, man. You look like shit."  
  
Sess growled at him as he left the small kitchen and he heard the front door swing shut. Sess practically leapt from his chair and paced the room, his shaking fingers lighting a cigarette and he breathed in the smoke deeply as he shut his eyes.  
  
_I never killed anybody. I never killed anybody!  
_  
But this was _proof_. There was blood on his sword. He never drew the beautiful sword that dangled from his waist in his dreams. He felt safe that it was there, but he never once drew it. Before today, that is.

* * *

Kagome was hurled to the ground like a useless toy and she felt her head hit the earth with a crack that threatened to send her into the darkness again.  
  
"YOU! You're probably in on this too, you demon bastard! Did you lead Naraku to us so you could finally see me dead and have the Tessaiga for yourself?"  
  
"Fool. I do not require any help from this hanyou to kill you. I am quite capable of doing it myself."  
  
Kagome lifted her stunned head from the damp grass and saw Inu Yasha clashing swords with none other than Sesshomaru. Had she heard correctly, was Sesshomaru part of Naraku's plan? She knew he hated Inu Yasha, but she still felt as thought there was a bond of some sort between the brothers. At least an honor that would ensure Sesshomaru killed Inu Yasha himself. Kagome couldn't believe Sesshomaru was in league with Naraku. Sesshomaru always seemed to be a free agent, so to speak. He was the only demon she had seen who held no interest in the Shikon shards. He was definitely an enigma.  
  
Kagome shuddered and tried to focus her eyes again. Naraku had backed away from the brothers, amused by the family feud playing out before him. Inu Yasha was distracted now, and a fight with Sesshomaru was the last thing they needed. Naraku seemed quite pleased with this turn of events and chuckled evilly.  
  
"Who will protect you now, little miko?" he barely whispered. A long tentacle came from behind her and brushed her cheek while another one ensnared her hands and raised them over her head, slightly lifting her from the ground. She gasped in surprise at his speed and opened her mouth to scream for Inu Yasha as a third tentacle slithered between her teeth and effectively gagged her. She remained silent as she struggled and squirmed to free herself.  
  
She whipped her head as far around as her sinuous bonds would allow and she saw Inu Yasha dodge a lightning fast attack from Sesshomaru. Behind them Sango and Miroku were upon Kirara fighting dozens and dozens of youkai. They seemed to come from thin air, all summoned by Naraku to keep the demon exterminator and monk entertained while he entertained himself with Kagome.  
  
"Hehehe..." Sesshomaru showing up was just an added bonus. Naraku was surprised to see him. The Taiyoukai moved with great speed, Naraku did not sense or smell him until he was almost on top of them. He would keep Inu Yasha _quite_ busy. Naraku rubbed his hands with anticipation. He would have all the time he needed with the human girl.  
  
He turned his attention to his prize, certain that he would not be interrupted for some time. "Where is the shard, Miko?"  
  
Kagome stared daggers at Naraku. She made no attempt to speak through her gag. She closed her eyes and turned her head as far away from her evil captor as she could.  
  
"Now, now." Naraku commented. "That isn't very cooperative. You will experience so much more pain if you are not cooperative."  
  
He felt her stiffen, but she did not open her eyes or turn to him. He could smell her fear, though she was quite good at hiding it.  
  
He slipped another tentacle around Kagome's feet and tightened his grip around her wrists, suspending her in midair and uncomfortably stretching her thin form to its full length. She gasped as Naraku smirked at getting her attention. "Yes, I could rip you in half. And I could either do it quickly or terribly slow. Which would you prefer?"  
  
Kagome swallowed hard. She wouldn't give in. She had the final shard, and she was the only thing standing between Naraku and the completed Shikon no Tama. She was not about to let all her hard work collecting the shards go to waste by handing the jewel to the most corrupt demon on earth. She felt her muscles pull as he tightened his grip on her body again. She closed her eyes and mentally prepared herself for the worst. At least they wouldn't die in vain. Even if he ripped her apart, he'd never think to look for the shard where she'd hidden it.  
  
"WENCH! I grow tired of your games. For the last time, where is my shard?"  
  
Naraku began to shake her violently. He released the tentacle from around her mouth and she gave into her terror and screamed for Inu Yasha quickly before Naraku once again covered her mouth and stopped her from alerting her friends. "Inu Yasha...I'm here. Inu Yasha, hurry!"  
  
"Inu Yasha, eh?"  
  
Kagome opened her eyes expecting to be shaken again before being ripped apart, but instead found herself wrapped haphazardly in her sheets looking up at a decidedly confused and irritated Miroku.  
  
"Hmm." Kagome said, waking her mind up before attempting to speak.  
  
"Hmm, indeed." Miroku replied.


End file.
